Although infrared grills are relatively new in the BBQ world, they have already stumped their authority in the industry. They get hot fast, letting you quickly prepare your delicious meals without waiting a long time.
So what exactly is an infrared grill? Infrared grills are the type of grills that heat food using radiation, an exact mechanism through which the sun heats the earth. These grills are fast, can attain very high temperatures, and use less fuel.
However, although infrared grills are best for consuming less energy, they are more expensive than gas or charcoal grills. Read on to learn more about infrared grills.
What is an infrared Grill?
As I have indicated above, infrared grills heat food through radiation. Essentially, the grills use the same mechanism the sun uses to warm the earth.
So how does an infrared grill work? An infrared grill uses conventional gas burners to heat ceramic, glass, or metal plates. The surface heats faster than air and transfers the heat to whatever you are cooking.
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To ensure that you do not lose heat energy, you should ensure that you do not leave it open.
How does an infrared grill Work
To understand how infrared grills work, you need to examine several essential aspects of the grill that you will need to understand. First, you need to have a good understanding of infrared waves.
Infrared waves are a component of the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and visible light waves. Infrared is a short wavelength that cannot be seen.
The infrared grill gas uses a gas burner to heat the plates normally made up of glass, ceramic, or metal. Consequently, the heated surface produces infrared waves instead of hot air. One of the advantages of infrared energy is that they heat faster than hot air.
The resulting infrared waves are responsible for heating the meat or food you cook on the grill.
What are the Main Types of Infrared Grills?
If you want to invest in infrared grilling technology, start by understanding the different types of infrared grills you can buy. It is one of the tricks to ensure you make the right decision.
Here are some of the top infrared grills that you should know:
1. Ceramic Infrared Burner Systems
Ceramic infrared burner system grills are the most common type of infrared grills. As you can deduce from the name, these grills use a stainless-steel gas burner compiled with a ceramic substance.
When the ceramic burners are heated, they get induced with tiny flames, becoming the focus of radiant heat.
The cooking grid is located above the ceramic plates responsible for dispersing the generated heat across the food. The cooking grid is normally located a few inches above the ceramic plates. The ceramic heat can get as high as 1000 degrees F.
2. Radiant Glass Panel System
Another common type of infrared grill worthy of trying out is the radiant glass panel. In these grills, the cooking surface sits on the top of the radiant glass panels heated by the stainless gas burners.
While these grills are excellent for cooking various meals, their temperature is lower than that of the ceramic infrared burner.
However, the temperature can get as high as 900 degrees, enough to cook a wide range of meals.
3. Heat Emitter
The heat emitter features stainless steel burners below a heating element. The grilling surface is normally over the emitters. Although this type of infrared grill is less expensive than its predecessor, it is ideal for preparing a wide range of foods.
The temperature of heat emitters ranges between 300 to 650 degrees, enough to cook a wide range of meals.
4. Hybrid Infrared Gas Grills
The hybrid infrared gas grill can operate in both conventional and infrared modes. Therefore, when you have these grills in your possession, you can decide on the most appropriate cooking mode. In the other words, you can use the grill like smokeless indoor grills.
Additionally, you can quickly increase or reduce the heat of the grill as you deem it necessary.
What are the benefits of an infrared grill?
Infrared grills have become quite popular in the modern world because of their several benefits. You can never go wrong with an infrared grill. Here are some of the benefits associated with infrared grills.
Fast Preheating
Time is essential when it comes to preparing meals. Whether preparing meals for your friends or yourself, you want to avoid a situation where you spend a lot of time waiting for the grill to be ready.
The infrared grills heat very fast, saving you the time you would have to wait for the grill to appear. In short than 5 minutes, the grill will be ready for cooking, unlike the traditional grills that can take up to 20 minutes before they are ready to cook.
Even Heat Distribution
Infrared grills use a reflector to distribute the heat to the surface that is being cooked. With even distribution of heat, you have the assurance that your food will cook fast and evenly, unlike when you cook on traditional grills that may have cold and hot spots.
Reduce the Cooking Time
Besides the fact that infrared grills heat fast, they generally help to reduce cooking time. They heat fast, making the cooking surface cook fast. Furthermore, conventional grills increase the risk of carcinogens developing on the food because the food stays on the grill for a long time.
The infrared grills cook the food fast, hence minimizing the chances of carcinogens forming on the food.
Quality Food
If you are a BBQ enthusiast, then there is nothing as fulfilling as cooking a delicious meal. The infrared grill gives a chance to cook better-tasting meals. One of the reasons for this is that the grill makes it possible for uniform and fast cooking, which contributes to intensifying the flavor of the food.
Quality Searing
Infrared grills can attain high temperatures within a short time. The fact that you can switch the temperatures of the grill within a short time makes it easy to sear your steak to perfection. Additionally, the even distribution of heat ensures that you can never get it wrong when it comes to searing.
Fuel Efficiency
Cooking requires energy, and you do need to ensure that you do not spend a lot of energy when preparing your meals. The infrared grills allow you to cook delicious meals without spending a lot of money in the form of energy efficiency.
However, remember to close the lid when cooking your meals to optimize energy efficiency.
Easy Cleaning
Lastly, infrared grills are easy to clean. The infrared grill’s cooking grate and metal reflector are easy to clean. One method of cleaning infrared grills is by turning their temperatures high.
How to clean an Infrared Grill
Ensuring that your infrared grill is always clean is one of the best ways to ensure that you prepare delicious meals. Fortunately, cleaning your infrared grill is straightforward.
The burn-off method is the best way to clean your infrared grill. Once you finish cooking or decide to clean your grill, you need to turn on the heat to burn off any excess food debris and grease on your grate.
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The process is simple because all you need is to close the lid on the grill to high heat. Leave it on for 15 minutes, and all the dirt will turn ashes. After the grill has cooled, use a brush to remove any remaining debris.
Courtney is a professional grilling enthusiast who has spent a good portion of his life grilling and exploring different methods and techniques for preparing delicious meals. As he always says, creativity is key to preparing sumptuous meals.